Background
–Following the German withdrawal
to the Hindenburg Line in the Spring of 1917, the British Army moved into the
sector around St Quentin in April. During this period there were many small unit
actions among the villages while the new British line was established. Among
those in the area at this time were War Poets Ivor Gurney (serving with 2/5th
Gloucesters) and Wilfred Owen (2nd Manchesters). A final line was
formalised in an arc around St Quentin and it differed from the rest of the
British front in that it wasn’t always a continuous line of trenches – there
were many outposts, gaps in the line and large areas of disputed territory.
During the winter of 1917/18 the positions in this part of the British sector
were vastly improved, revolving around ‘defence in depth’ – an outer
battle zone, a redoubt line and a rear line. While most of the redoubts were
complete by March 1918, the rear zone was still under construction. At the same
time, the British Army had undergone a drastic reorganisation, largely due to
the fact that reinforcements were being withheld in England. Whereas a British
infantry division had once consisted of twelve battalions, it was now reduced to
nine – three to each Brigade (as opposed to four). Given that some battalions,
due to battle losses and sickness during the cold winter months, were down to
below 500 men, the whole idea of defence in depth was now an anathema. With
British intelligence sure that a German offensive was coming, this was the
situation General Sir Hubert Gough’s Fifth Army found itself in by mid-March
1918. The German attack came on the morning of 21st March 1918: mass
infantry attacks preceded by heavy bombardments, gas and infiltration troops
(better known as ‘Stormtroopers’). Most forward positions were completely
overwhelmed, but many of the redoubts held out – inflicting heavy losses on
the Germans. By the close of the day the Germans had broken through on a large
front – all along the sector held by Fifth Army. The offensive was to continue
until it finally broke at Villers-Bretonneux and north of Albert in April 1918.
By this time both sides had lost on average more than 11,000 men each per day of
the offensive. More than 72,000 British soldiers had been taken prisoner, over
50,000 of that number in the first week alone.

The
Tour – The tour will look at some selected sites around St Quentin
connected with the actions of 21st March 1918. It can easily
completed in a day, and presumes you will probably be based in the Somme area
(although there are many places to stay around St Quentin). Coming from the
Somme the best route is to pass through Peronne to reach the Amiens-St Quentin
Road (RN.29) on the D.937. It takes about 45 minutes from the Albert area to
reach this part of the battlefield. This is not a comprehensive guide to the
area, but is designed to give you a flavour of this often neglected part of the
Western Front. It also presumes you will have a packed lunch with you, rather
than waste time seeking out a local restaurant or café.

DIRECTIONS
– APPROACH THE BATTLEFIELD VIA PERONNE ON THE D.937. WHERE IT REACHES THE
AMIENS-ST QUENTIN ROAD (RN.29) GO STRAIGHT ACROSS FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS FOR
‘HAM’. STAY ON THE D.937 TO HAM. IN THE TOWN GO STRAIGHT THROUGH, FOLLOWING
SIGNS FOR ‘NOYON’. AS YOU EXIT HAM, A FEW HUNDRED YARDS ON THE LEFT IS A
CWGC SIGN – FOLLOW TO THE MILITARY CEMETERY.

STAND
1: HAM BRITISH CEMETERY. Ham was occupied
by the British in April 1917, and became a staging post for British divisions in
the area. There were rest billets here, a Casualty Clearing Station (61st
South Midland CCS RAMC), reserve depots and a railhead linked back to Amiens and
Peronne. It had been under German occupation prior to this, and the German
cemetery you have now reached was started by them in 1914.

HAM
BRITISH CEMETERY is 500 yards South of Ham railway station, in the neighbouring
commune of Muille-Villette. It began in January-March, 1918, as an extension of
Muille-Villette German Cemetery, made by the Casualty Clearing Station. In 1919
these graves were regrouped and others were added from the German Cemetery and
from other burial grounds. The cemetery now contains the graves of 462 soldiers
from the United Kingdom, of whom 217 are unidentified. Special memorials are
erected to 14 soldiers, believed to be buried in unnamed graves, and other
special memorials record the names of thirty United Kingdom soldiers, buried in
other cemeteries, whose graves were not found. MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY
adjoins the West side of the British Cemetery. It now contains the graves of
1,113 identified and 420 unidentified German soldiers.

Among the burials is Lieutenant
Colonel J.R.Macalpine Downie who was killed on 21st March while
commanding 1/8th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of 61st
(South Midland) Division. During the fighting he had left his reserve
headquarters dugout and was mortally wounded by shell fire while visiting the
forward positions. A big man, it took four of the strongest stretcher-bearers to
evacuate Macalpine Downie to the CCS at Ham where he died.

DIRECTIONS
– RETURN TO HAM TOWN CENTRE, THIS TIME FOLLOW SIGNS FOR ST QUENTIN. YOU WILL
EXIT HAM ON THE D.930. STAY ON THIS ROAD UNTIL YOU REACH THE VILLAGE OF ROUPY.
HERE TURN LEFT FOR ‘SAVY’. ON APPROACHING SAVY, YOU WILL ARRIVE AT SAVY
BRITISH CEMETERY ON THE LEFT.

STAND
2: SAVY BRITISH CEMETERY. Savy was captured by units of the 32nd
Division in April 1917, and the front line established to the east of the
village. Wilfred Owen was here with the 2nd Manchesters at this time,
and spent a few days in a railway cutting at Savy Wood.

SAVY BRITISH CEMETERY was
made in 1919, and the graves from the battlefields and small cemeteries in the
neighbourhood were concentrated into it. There are now over 850, Great War
casualties commemorated at this site. Of these, more than half are unidentified.
Memorials are erected in the cemetery to 68 soldiers (chiefly of the 19th King's
Liverpools and the 17th Manchesters), buried by the Germans in their cemetery on
the St. Quentin-Roupy road, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The
following were among the burial grounds from which British graves were removed
to Savy British Cemetery:- DALLON GERMAN CEMETERY, North-West of the village of
Dallon, containing the graves of 21 British soldiers who fell in March 1918.
INNISKILLINGS CEMETERY, DALLON, on the South side of a small wood, North of the
St. Quentin-Savy road. Here the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, in April 1917,
buried 17 of their number, three other British soldiers and one French
Interpreter. LANCASHIRE CEMETERY, on the East side of SAVY WOOD, made by the
16th Lancashire Fusiliers in April 1917, and containing the graves of 27 men of
the 15th and 16th Lancashire Fusiliers and nine other British soldiers. ST.
QUENTIN-ROUPY ROAD GERMAN CEMETERY, at L'Epine-de-Dallon, which contained the
graves of 232 British soldiers who fell in March 1918. SAVY COMMUNAL CEMETERY
EXTENSION, made in April 1917 and containing 14 British graves. SAVY MILITARY
CEMETERY, close to Savy Church. It was made in April and May 1917 by the 97th
Brigade and other units, and it contained 39 British graves. SAVY WOOD NORTH
CEMETERY, at the North-West corner of Savy Wood, by the railway line. It was
made by the 32nd Division in April and May 1917, and it contained 44 British
graves.

While
Wilfred Owen was at Savy Wood, he witnessed the death of a fellow officer who is
buried here: Second Lieutenant
H.Gaukroger was killed on 2nd April 1917. Of the March 1918
burials, Lieutenant Colonel
A.F.C.Machlachlan CMG DSO & Bar, is the most senior. A veteran of the
Boer War, his first DSO was for bravery with the 3rd KRRC at Tugela
Heights where he was also wounded. In 1914 he fought with the 1st Bn
and was wounded at the Aisne in September. He later commanded the 13th
Middlesex Regt in Salonika, before being invalided home in the summer of 1917.
In February 1918 he went to command 12th Rifle Brigade, and had been
with them only a short while before being killed at Fluquières on 22nd
March. An old Etonian, he was one of four brothers killed while serving with the
KRRC or Rifle Brigade – two in India before the Great War, and another on the
Western Front in 1917.

DIRECTIONS
– LEAVE THE CEMETERY AND PASS THROUGH SAVY VILLAGE., ON A MINOR ROAD (D.68).
YOU WILL PASS THE AREA OF SAVY WOOD ON THE LEFT, AND ARRIVE AT A ROAD JUNCTION
WITH ANOTHER MINOR ROAD TO YOUR RIGHT. ON THE LEFT IS THE ENTANCE TO A QUARRY
AND SOME MODERN HOUSES. STOP HERE.

STAND
3: MANCHESTER HILL. Manchester Redoubt was created during the winter of
1917/18, the hill being named after 2nd Manchesters (Wilfred Owen)
who captured the position in April 1917. It was a high piece of ground that
afforded good views towards the German front line and St Quentin itself. On the
morning of 21st March it was defended by elements of the 16th
Manchesters of 30th Division, along with units from the 30th
Bn MGC and brigade trench mortar battery. The Manchesters were commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel Wilfrith Elstob DSO MC. Elstob had been commissioned from the
ranks in 1914, and had fought on the Somme, at Arras and Ypres. Considered a
brave and well respected officer – he had been awarded the DSO and MC for
bravery – his orders for the defence of the position included the phrase “The
Manchester Regiment will defend Manchester Hill to the last”. When the
attack began he had a company of men in the forward zone, a company in the
nearby village of Francilly Selency and the rest of his men in the redoubt,
where his headquarters were also located. The fog blocked the view from
Manchester Hill, and the Germans were able to infiltrate the other positions
held by the battalion. The redoubt held on until a strong German attack
following the arrival of field artillery pieces. Elstob was reputedly killed
after declining the offer to surrender, and despite a search for his body, it
was never found – he is commemorated on the Pozières Memorial. His VC
citation reads:

"For
most conspicuous bravery, devotion to duty and self-sacrifice during
operations at Manchester Redoubt, near St. Quentin, on the 21st March, 1918.
During the preliminary bombardment he encouraged his men in the posts in the
Redoubt by frequent visits, and when repeated attacks developed controlled the
defence at the points threatened, giving personal support with revolver, rifle
and bombs. Single-handed he repulsed one bombing assault driving back the
enemy and inflicting severe casualties. Later, when ammunition was required,
he made several journeys under severe fire in order to replenish the supply.
Throughout the day Lieutenant-Colonel Elstob, although twice wounded, showed
the most fearless disregard of his own safety, and by his encouragement and
noble example inspired his command to the fullest degree. The Manchester
Redoubt was surrounded in the first wave of the enemy attack, but by means of
the buried cable Lieutenant-Colonel Elstob was able to assure his Brigade
Commander that "The Manchester Regiment will defend Manchester Hill to
the last." Sometime after this post was overcome by vastly superior
forces, and this very gallant officer was killed in the final assault, having
maintained to the end the duty which he had impressed on his men - namely,
"Here we fight, and here we die." He set throughout the highest
example of valour, determination, endurance and fine soldierly bearing."

Today the quarry that
formed part of the Manchester Redoubt is still there, although somewhat larger
than in 1918. The hill is still intact, and despite the recent arrival of a new
motorway link from Amiens to St Quentin which seemed to put the position under
threat, the fields are well away from the new development. Parking on the D.68
near the modern entrance to the quarry (private ground to which there is no
public access), if you walk along the edge of the field that borders the rough
scrub of the quarry it will take you to the crest of Manchester Hill. The very
crest is now (January 2001) covered with a rough grass field on one corner of
which was once located the artillery observation post in the middle of the
redoubt. The concrete structure Martin Middlebrook saw in 1976 has either been
buried or removed, although the fields are still covered with shrapnel. Remember
this is private property, and respect for crops and the usual farming activities
should be obvious to most visitors. Among the scrub by the quarry is what
appears to be the remains of a trench, which is rapidly filling with brambles. A
most poignant location.

DIRECTIONS
– CONTINUE ALONG THE D.68 FOR A VERY SHORT WAY, AND THEN TURN LEFT ON THE
D.683 FOLLOWING SIGNS FOR ‘FRANCILLY SELENCY’. MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE VILLAGE
CHURCH.

STAND
4: MANCHESTER PALS MEMORIAL. This new memorial was placed here a few years
ago by members of the Lancashire and Cheshire Branch of the WFA. Originally it
was intended to place it on Manchester Hill, but fearful of the motorway
extension it was decided to put it here. The memorial not only commemorates
Elstob’s 16th Bn, but the other Manchester Pals battalions who were
here on 21st March.

DIRECTIONS
– RETRACE YOUR STEPS TO MANCHESTER HILL, AND RETAKE THE D.68 TOWARDS SAVY. AT
THE HILL TURN LEFT ON A MINOR ROAD GOING SOUTH TO WHERE IT MEETS THE MAIN ROAD
(D.930).

STAND
5: EPINE DE DALLON REDOUBT. This junction, along with the nearby houses, is
known on French maps as Epine de Dallon. There were similar farm buildings and
cottages here in 1918, which formed part of the Epine de Dallon Redoubt. This
guarded the main road from St Quentin to Ham. On 21st March the 2nd
Wiltshires (also 30th Division) were defending this position,
commanded by Lieutenant Colonel A.V.P.Martin. On the right flank of Manchester
Hill, if there had been no fog then the two would have been able to provide
mutual fire support. A ‘recce’ patrol went out from this redoubt on the
morning of the 21st, but was never seen again. When the main attack
came Martin and his men held on for some time. By 1.30pm Martin only had fifty
men left, and later that afternoon no further word was received from the
redoubt. It had finally been overwhelmed, with Martin and the survivors all
being taken prisoner – eleven other officers among them. For his bravery that
day Lieutenant Colonel Martin was awarded the DSO. ‘Soldiers
Died’ records 3 officers and 93 Other Ranks killed on this day.

DIRECTIONS
– FOLLOW THE D.930 WEST IN THE DIRECTION OF HAM. AT THE MAIN CROSSROADS IN
ROUPY, TURN LEFT ON THE D.72 SIGNPOSTED ‘SERAUCOURT LE GRAND’. IN THE
VILLAGE FOLLOW THE CWGC SIGN AT THE CHURCH WHICH WILL TAKE YOU UP A SIDE ROAD TO
THE MILITARY CEMETERY.

STAND
6: GRAND-SERAUCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY. This large cemetery is arguably one of
the most important 21st March cemeteries in the area, despite the
fact that the majority of graves are ‘unknowns’. However in many cases these
unknowns are identified by regiment, and also rank, and it is possible to build
up a picture of the units that are represented here. The village of Seraucourt
le Grand was behind the British front line on 21st March and was in
the 36th (Ulster) Division sector. Near to the location of the modern
cemetery were two redoubts: Gunner Copse Redoubt and Station Redoubt which were
in the Battle Zone Area. The area fell to the Germans on the first day of the
offensive.

GRAND-SERAUCOURT BRITISH
CEMETERY is on the East side of the village and was made in 1920-26 by the
concentration of graves from the battlefields around St Quentin, and from other
burial grounds in the department of the Aisne. It contains the graves of 1,323
soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom and two Canadian soldiers; the
majority fell in March 1918; 881, or almost two-thirds, are unidentified.
Special Memorials are erected to two soldiers from the United Kingdom, known or
believed to be buried here as unidentified; and other Special Memorials record
the names of 32 United Kingdom soldiers, buried by the enemy, whose graves could
not be found. In Plots III, IV and V are many graves, identified collectively
but not individually, which are marked by headstones inscribed: "Buried
near this spot". The British Cemetery stands on high ground, seven feet
above the road in undulating agricultural country, but with woods to the North
and West. The Registers record particulars of one War Grave in the Communal
Cemetery and 1,357, existing or commemorated, in the British Cemetery.

There are a large number of RFC and RAF graves here. Of the March 1918
‘unknowns’ it is possible to discern a 7th Rifle Brigade plot in
Plot 4 Row H, and Plots 7 and 8, both rows A. This unit was completely wiped out
near Essigny le Grand on 21st March, with the commanding officer
(Lieutenant Colonel Sloggett) and nineteen other officers taken prisoner, with
over 500 other casualties. Four unknown officers of the 8th Royal
Berkshires killed near Moy are in Plot 3, Row A. There are also a number of 1914
casualties from the Aisne battlefields buried here – their bodies moved some
considerable distance from isolated locations in the 1920s.

DIRECTIONS
– LEAVE THE CEMETERY AND JOIN THE ROAD FROM SERAUCOURT LE GRAND TO ESSIGNY LE
GRAND. FOLLOW INTO THE VILLAGE AND TURN RIGHT ON THE D.8. CONTINUE A COUPLE OF
HUNDRED YARDS, AND STOP AT A CAFÉ ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE MAIN STREET.

STAND
7: LE MEMORIAL CAFÉ, ESSIGNY LE GRAND. This excellent – and almost
unknown – café/museum at Essigny is run by a French Great War enthusiast who
has turned one part of the building into a private museum. There is a large
amount of Great War material on display which relates to the military history of
the region, and the café owner is very knowledgeable on the Hindenburg Line
battlefields – as well as the further away Verdun area where he worked on bomb
disposal during his National Service. A superb place for an afternoon drink, he
also does lunches and evening meals in his restaurant. Contact: Le Memorial, 1
rue des Marronniers, 02690 ESSIGNY-LE-GRAND. Tel: 03.23.63.38.16.

Essigny-le-Grand was in
the 14th (Light) Division area on 21st March, and was
defended by units of the Rifle Brigade and KRRC. The railway line that ran from
the village to St Quentin was cut by a large redoubt north of the village,
called Racecourse Redoubt. It was here that Lieutenant Edmund de Wind of 15th
Royal Irish Rifles of 36th (Ulster) Division, was awarded a
posthumous VC for his defence of the position on 21st March. He has
no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozières Memorial.

DIRECTIONS
– RETRACE YOUR STEPS TO SERAUCOURT LE GRAND AND THE CROSSROADS AT ROUPY ON THE
D.930. HERE CONTINUE ON THE D.32, UNTIL YOU REACH AN AREA OF A WOODED CHATEAU ON
THE LEFT OF THE ROAD. STOP HERE BRIEFLY.

STAND
8: CHATEAU DE POMMERY – GOODMAN REDOUBT. The ruins of Chateau de Pommery
(which had been blown up by the Germans) fell to the 2nd Manchesters
in April 1917. A redoubt was latered constructed around the ruins of the
building, being named Goodman Redoubt after Brigadier General G.D.Goodman of 21st
Brigade, 30th Division. On 21st March it was defended by
17th Manchesters, sister battalion of Elstob’s 16th. The
redoubt did not come under attack until the 22nd March, and after
heavy fighting the position was eventually overrun, with only around 100 men
answering the roll call after the action. Seven officers were taken prisoner
here, and at least two officers and 73 Other Ranks were killed according to ‘Soldiers
Died’.

DIRECTIONS
– CONTINUE ALONG THE D.32 AND THEN TURN RIGHT AT THE NEXT JUNCTION FOR
ETREILLERS. GO THROUGH THE VILLAGE FOLLOWING SIGNS FOR ATTILLY. HERE CONTINUE
FOR MARTEVILLE AND VERMAND. GO THROUGH VERMAND TO THE RN.29 MAIN ROAD. GO RIGHT
(EAST) TOWARDS ST QUENTIN, AND THEN TURN LEFT ON THE D.33 (IT IS SIGNPOSTED FOR
THE AMERICAN CEMETERY AT BONY) GOING THROUGH BIHECOURT TO VADENCOURT.

STAND
9: VADENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY, MAISSEMY. No visit to the area is complete
without seeing the grave of Jack Dimmer VC who is buried here.

Maissemy passed into
British hands in 1917. It was captured by the Germans on the 21st March 1918, in
spite of a strong resistance by elements of the 24th Division and the 2/4th
Royal Berks, and retaken by the 1st Division on the following 15th September. At
the beginning of October, the IX Corps Main Dressing Station was at Vadencourt.

VADENCOURT BRITISH
CEMETERY (called at first Vadencourt New British Cemetery) was begun in August,
1917, by fighting units, and used until March 1918; and in October and November
1918, it was used by the 5th, 47th and 61st Casualty Clearing Stations (at
Bihecourt, on the road to Vermand) as well as by Field Ambulances. These
original graves are in Plots I-III; and after the Armistice those plots were
enlarged, and Plots IV and V made, by the concentration of graves from the
surrounding battlefields and from a few small burial grounds. These scattered
graves were mainly of April 1917, and March, April, September and October 1918,
and many of them represented casualties of the 59th (North Midland) Division. At
the same time four French, 31 American and 28 German Graves, all of October,
1918, were removed to other cemeteries. There are now over 750 Great War
casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 200 are unidentified. Five
Indian Cavalry soldiers, whose bodies were cremated, are named on special
memorials. The cemeteries from which British graves were removed to Vadencourt
British Cemetery included these two: VADENCOURT CHATEAU CEMETERY, a little
further West, in which nine soldiers from the United Kingdom and six from Canada
were buried in April-August, 1917. VENDELLES CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, made by the
59th Division in April, 1917, and containing the graves of 36 soldiers from the
United Kingdom.

Lieutenant Colonel J.H.S.
(‘Jack’) Dimmer VC was a pre-war officer of the KRRC who had been
awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery at First Ypres in 1914. His citation
reads,

"This Officer
served his machine gun during the attack on the 12th November at Klein
Zillebeke until he had been shot five times - three times by shrapnel and
twice by bullets, and continued at his post until his gun was destroyed."

Following several other
commands, he was serving with the 2/4th Royal Berkshires of 61st
(South Midland) Division on 21st March. There was bitter fighting
near Maissemy in which his battalion played a key part. Dimmer mounted a white
charger during the fighting – somewhat conspicuous on the battlefield – and
was killed shortly afterwards. Buried by the Germans, his grave was recovered
from an isolated spot on the battlefield after the war.

Among the other burials are numerous RFC officers, a large amount of
soldiers from the Sherwood Foresters and in Plot I many different cavalry
regiments are represented. Some of War Poet Ivor Gurney’s comrades of 2/5th
Gloucesters are in Plot I, Row C. A senior officer is also buried here. Brigadier
General Sir William A.I.Kay CMG DSO was a KRRC officer like Dimmer, who was
killed commanding 3rd Infantry Brigade on 4th October
1918, aged 42. He had previously served with all four regular battalions of his
regiment in Egypt, Malta, India and in the Boer War. He served on Sir John
French’s Staff in 1914, and was wounded at Ypres in October. He served with
the 24th Division Staff on the Somme and at Ypres, before rising to
command 3rd Brigade in March 1918. Kay was killed by a gas shell near
St Quentin.

DIRECTIONS
– FROM HERE RETURN TO THE SOMME VIA THE RN.29 AND D.44 BACK TO PERONNE AND
BEYOND.

-A weak book that covers too much in too little detail. The maps are
average, and unlike most ‘Battleground Europe’ books there is very little
information on visiting the ground today. Also, sadly no tourist information for
the area – an area that needs it.

Middlebrook, M. – The
Kaiser’s Battle (many editions)

-Seminal book on the subject and essential for any visit to the 21st
March sectors.